The invention relates to a detachable wheelchair headrest for preventing involuntary head movement in persons seated in the wheelchair.
Many infirm, paralyzed, or elderly persons have inadequate use or control of their neck muscles. When such persons are seated in a wheelchair, their weak neck muscles often allow their head to wobble uncontrollably forward and from side-to-side.
The prior art discloses a number of detachable wheelchair headrests made from flexible materials. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,704 (Hildreth), U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,177 (Hale et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,781 (Howard, disclosing a pillow headrest for a lawnchair), U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,310 (Montagno), U.S. Pat. No. 3,632,162 (Trethawny), U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,259 (Sherfey), and U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,759 (Reeves). However, without exception, these prior art headrests merely provide a comfortable surface on which to rest the head of a person sitting in a wheelchair, without providing any means for restraining or preventing involuntary head movement. Furthermore, most of the headrests do not fold easily for transport or storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,589 (Lane) discloses a detachable wheelchair headrest with inclined head supports for cradling the head of a person seated in the wheelchair. The Lane headrest does not effectively reduce side-to-side head wobble, and involuntary forward head motion is not restrained.
Thus, there is an unmet need for a wheelchair headrest which can prevent involuntary head movement in persons seated in the wheelchair, and which can be easily detached from the wheelchair and folded for convenient transport or storage.